Read Online Redemption: A British Stepbrother Romance by Jessica Ashe - Free Book Online Page B

it.”
    I couldn’t deny having an ulterior motive. There was little in life sexier than seeing a hot woman in a rugby shirt. The tight fit would show off Michelle’s body, but there was also something primal and raw about rugby shirts on a woman that drove me wild.
    Michelle insisted on getting a long sleeved shirt, but damn, she still looked good in it. I couldn’t see her breasts any more, but the sacrifice was worth it. The curves of the shirt around her chest were almost more appealing than actually seeing her chest, if that was at all possible. The not-so-subtle hint at what lay underneath was enough to prove distracting during the game if I wasn’t careful.
    We swung by the changing rooms first because they were empty at the moment, much to Maisie’s disappointment. My teammates were all tall and muscular like me, and I had no intention of inadvertently creating any competition for myself by letting Michelle walk in on them half-naked.
    We did come across a few players hanging out in the halls, so I introduced them to Maisie and encouraged her to get a few signatures.
    “You can sign right here,” she said, pointing to her left breast. “And you can sign here,” she said to the other player, pointing to her right breast this time.
    “Uh, how old are you?” my teammate Nigel asked. He was six foot four and weighed over one hundred kilos, but right now he looked terrified by a fourteen-year-old girl. That tended to be the appropriate reaction where Maisie was concerned.
    “Probably best to just sign her sleeves,” I said, as Maisie rolled her eyes at me. Now I knew how Michelle felt. Maisie had a way of making you feel like the bad guy all the time for spoiling her fun.
    “Thanks lads,” I said when they’d finished signing her shirt.
    Just before we walked away, two young boys about Maisie’s age ran up to Nigel, one of them holding a rugby ball, and asked him to sign it.
    “You want a signature from Olly as well?” Nigel asked. Nigel looked a little surprised to see that he had been asked for the signature first because most people gravitated towards me.
    For good or bad, I was one of the most famous rugby players in the country, even though I hadn’t played for England since the World Cup Final in 2007. Anyone who liked rugby had an opinion on me, and that meant I was a popular choice to sign merchandise.
    “God no,” the kid said, and grabbed the ball from Nigel’s hand. “He might drop it.” The two kids ran off, laughing at how funny they were.
    “Little shits,” Nigel said.
    “I can’t believe they said that,” Maisie exclaimed.
    “Don’t worry, it happens,” I said with a shrug. “I don’t care.”
    I really didn’t. I had done for a couple of years, but not any more. If the worst thing that stuck with me from that day was “dropping” the ball, then I was fortunate. If they knew the truth, well, that would be far worse.
    I took Maisie and Michelle upstairs to an executive suite that I had claimed for the day, and introduced them to the waiter who would be looking after them while I played.
    “He’ll get you whatever you want to eat or drink,” I said. “Just name it.”
    “The view is incredible,” Maisie said, as she stared through the glass towards the pitch.
    “Yes,” I replied, looking at Michelle from behind. “It is. You can go sit in the stands as well if you want.”
    Maisie found the door and took a seat out in the ground. The executive suites were awesome, but you couldn’t beat the atmosphere of being out amongst the crowd where you could feel the tension through your body as the game ebbed and flowed.
    “Are you okay?” Michelle asked me, once Maisie was outside. “About what happened back there with those boys.”
    “Of course,” I said, with a big, forced smile. “It happens all the time. Don’t worry about it.”
    “It’s not fair,” she said. “Anyone could have… you know…”
    “Dropped the ball and completely shanked the kick that